Draft gears for railway draft riggings



NOV- 5, 1957 l.. F. GADBols 2,812,073

DRAFT GEARS FOR RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGINGS -l/ Jig' Nov. 5, 1957 L.. F. GADBols 2,812,073

DRAFT GEARS FOR RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGINGSk Filed Nov. 22, 1955 4 sheets-sheet 2 L. F. GADBols DRAFT mms FoR RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGIRGS Nav. s', 1957 4 'Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 22, 1555 Invenj/n:

Nov. 5, 1957 L. F. GADBOIS DRAFT GEARS FOR RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGINGS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 22, 1955 DRAFT GEARS FOR RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGINGS Lewis F. Gadbois, Kenmore, N. Y., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, lll., a corporation of Delaware Application November 22, 1955, Serial No. 548,391

Claims. (Cl. 213-45) This invention relates to draft gears for railway draft riggings.

It is a main object of the invention to provide a rubber draft gear having a high capacity to weight ratio.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rubber draft gear that utilizes a maximum amount of the vertical space available in the pocket and yoke of a standard draft rigging.

Further objects of the invention not specifically mentioned here will be apparent from the detailed description and claims which follow, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the gear as it appears in the rigging;

Figure 2 is a front end elevational view of the gear;

Figure 3 is a view looking down on the gear with the metallic band shown in cross section along the line 3-3 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the metallic band;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of an aligning separator; Y

Figure 6 is a side view of the plunger as seen from the lright hand side of the gear;

Figure 7 is a View similar to Figure 3, showing the gear at one stage of its assembly; and

Figure 8 is a plan View of the rear aligning separator.

The gear of the present invention consists of a column composed of a plurality of units A divided into groups by aligning separators B, and a pressure applying plunger C. The column and plunger are held together as a unit by a metallic band D, the unit thus formed being of such dimension as to fit in the standard pocket and yoke of a railway draft rigging with the usual front follower E and rear follower F.

The metallic band D consists of side walls 10 and 11, a rear wall 12, and a front wall 13, which front wall contains a rectangular opening 14 through which the plunger C projects.

The side walls 10 and 11 of the band contain rectangular slots 15 and 15a respectively disposed on the longitudinal median lines of the walls and extending therealong into juxtaposition to the front wall 13 and rear wall 12 of the band.

The resilient units A are of known construction, consisting of metallic plates between which a solid rubber pad is disposed and bonded to the plates. One plate contains bosses projecting therefrom and the other plate sockets therein to facilitate alignment of the plates in the column in known manner.

Each aligning separator B consists of a plate interposed between adjacent units A, which plate 20 has at its ends flanges 21 and 22. As will be seen in Figure 5, flange 21 extends beyond both faces of the plate 20 at right angles thereto and is offset with respect to the plate in one direction and flange 22 is of identical connited States Patent C struction and is offset with respect to the plate in the opposite direction. Flanges 21 and 22 carry outwardly projecting lugs 23 that are of such dimension as to t into and have sliding engagement with the walls of slots 1S; Along one of the edges of the plates 20 are a pair of substantially rectangular flanges 24 and 25 extending from the plate in opposite directions, these flanges being disposed on opposite sides of the middle of the edge and equi-distant therefrom. The other edge of the plate 20 contains similar flanges 26 and 27 similarly located but projecting from the plate 20, each oppositely to the corresponding flange 24 or 25. Projecting from one face of the plate 2li are a pair of bosses 28 and on the other face there are a pair of sockets 29 which are coaxial with the bosses 28.

The front plunger C consists of a rectangular base 30 from which a frusto-pyramidal portion 31 projects. At one end of the base 30 a short flange 32 projects rearwardly, this flange containing a central opening 33, best seen in Figure 6. Projecting rearwardly from the other end of the base 3ft is a wider flange 34, which contains a central opening 35. Projecting rearwardly from the longer sides of the base 30 is a substantially rectangular flange 36 located on the upper edge of the base and a similar flange 37 located on the lower edge thereof.

The rearrnost aligning separator, best seen in Figure 8, consists of a wall 40 from one end of which a wide flange 41 extends forwardly and from the other end of which a short flange 42 also extends forwardly. The flange 41 carries an outwardly projecting lug 43 that fits into the slot 15 in the side wall 1t), and flange 42 carries a smaller lug 44, which fits into the slot 15a in the wall 11. The longer sides of the wall 40 contain on theupper edge as seen in Figs. 3 and 7 a forwardly extending, generallyrectangular flange 45 and a similar flange 46 projecting forwardly from the lower edge of the wall 40.

In assembling the gear, the metallic band D is placed with its rear wall 12 lowermo-st. The rear aligning separator is inserted at an angle with respect to the wall 12 and then rotated to register the lugs 43 and 44 in the slo-ts 15. The plunger C is then inserted in the band in a similar manner and moved upwardly therein to project the front portion 31 thereof through the opening 14 in the band. The plunger C is secured in this position by any suitable means, not shown. The rearmost group of units A are next inserted, after which the rearmost aligning separator B is inserted in the band and brought into registration with the pads. Since the flanges 21 and 22 on the separators extend from the central plate 20 thereof in opposite directions, the separators B can be tilted sufllciently to permit insertion within the band and then rotated to register the lugs 23 in the slots 15. A second group of units A and a second aligning separator B are then inserted in the same manner, followed by a third group of units A and a third aligning separator B. After the three groups of units A and the aligning separators have thus been inserted in the band, plunger C is released and pressure applied thereto sufficient to compress the column as shown in Figure 7. Keys 50 are then placed over the upper ends of the flanges 21 and 22 of the uppermost aligning separator B with the opposite end of the keys engaging the rear wall 12 of the band. Openings 33 in the rearwardly extending flange 32 of the plunger and opening 35 in the rearwardly extending lange 34 thereof permit this engagement of the keys 50 with the flanges 21 and 22, respectively. Pressure is then removed from the plunger which is moved into the position shown in Figure 7 and the units A of the forward group of the column then inserted between the plunger and forward aligning separator B. Pressure is then reapplied to the plunger C sufficient to free the keys 50, which are then removed and pressure then removed from the plunger C, permitting the column to expand into the position in which it is shown in Figure 3.

When :the gear is inserted in the yoke `of the draft rigging, `it is vsupported on the lower strap of that yoke by engagement therewith of the band D, rectangular flange 37 `on the lower edge of the plunger and iianges 26 and 27 on the aligning separators B. The front and rear followers E and F engage the pocket defining lugs, yoke and coupler `shank of the rigging in the usual manner.

In operation, pressure applied to the front follower telescopes the plunger into the` metallic band, thereby compressing the units in the column. Lateral movement of Ythe units under this compression in a direction sidewise of the gear is prevented by the engagement of the ilangeslli and 42,2 of the separators with the walls and 11 of the metallic band. Lateral movement up and down is prevented by engagement of the lugs 23 0D the Separatqrs with `the walls of the slots 15 in walls 10 and 11 af the band ,Since the metallic band D extends only alongside of `the resilient column, leaving the top and bottom surfaces of that ,column open, the units in the column can be made wider in a vertical direction than would be possible if the column were completelyencased. This additional `space `permits addition of rubber in the column and produces a gear having high capacity, which gear is lighter than similar capacity gears that are completely encased `in a metallic casing.

While l khave chosen to show my invention by illustrating and describing a preferred embodiment of it, I

Vhave done so by way of example only, as there are many modifications and adaptations which can be made by one skilled in the .art within the teachings of the invention. Having thus complied `with the statutes and shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, l -what I consider newand desire to have protected by Letwalls, said front wall containing an opening and each side wall containing a longitudinally disposed slot; a plunger within said band projecting through the opening in said front wall; a resilient column comprising a plurality of metal faced rubber units disposed within the band between said plunger and said rear wall; and aligning separators dividing the units in said column into groups, each separator comprising a plate disposed between adjacent units, flanges at the ends of said plate engaging the side walls of said band, and lugs on said anges projecting `into the slots in the side walls.

2,. A draft gear as specified Vin claim 1 in which the slots in the side walls of the band are centered upon the longitudinal median line of the wall and extend into juxtaposition to the front and back walls of the band.

3. A draft gear as specified in claim 1 in which the Slots in the side Walls of the band are rectangular in shape and the lugs on the separator anges are rectangular and have sliding iit in the slots.

4. A draft kgear as specified in claim 1 in which the flange at one end of each separator plate is offset laterally of the faces of the plate in one direction and the tlange at the other :end of the plate is oiset laterally in the opposite direction to facilitate assembly of the separator in the band.

5 A vdraft gear as speciled in claim 1 in which each separator plate carries two substantially rectangular flanges .on its upper edge and two substantially rectangular `flanges on its lower edge, the ange on each edge extending in opposite directions therefrom and being off- Aset `in Opposite directions equi-distantly from the center of the edge.

References Cited in the tile of this patent t UNITED STATES PATENTS 

